Fly Tying Friday // The Pincushion Merkin

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“Del Brown’s Merkin is undoubtedly one of, if not the most, successful permit fly of all time. In fact, a Permit or Redfish box looks incomplete without at least a few Merkins. Many of your favorite permit hero-shots were likely taken shortly after removing one of these bad boys from its mouth. Over the years it has inspired the base elements of many “new” permit flies, so add this one to the pile! The top of the shell uses a pullover strip of wooly critter brush, which I’ve found adds a nice two-tone element that we see often in naturals. As a substitute to the typical feather claws, we’ve opted for the more realistic chenille. While most consider this to be a Redfish or Permit fly, they can be equally effective for targeting Bonefish, Triggers, Snook, and even Sheepshead.” –Jack Reis